Despite threats of First Nation lawsuits, the Yukon government has bulled ahead, approving its own Peel watershed land use plan instead of the final recommended plan prepared by an independent commission.
It also lifted a four-year ban on new mineral claims as of Jan. 22.
The Yukon’s new plan welcomes industrial development in most of the 68,000-sq.km wilderness region.
Similar to the blueprint it put forward in late 2012, it designates 27% as integrated management areas and 44% as restricted use wilderness areas, paving the way for mines and roads in both.
The other 29% is labelled as protected areas. Although no new claims will be allowed in these, the existing claims can be worked and temporary roads will be allowed, if required.
The protected areas include the corridors of the Wind, Snake, Hart, Bonnet Plume and Peel River. The corridors vary from two to 10 kilometres in width. A chunk of the upper Hart and Snake are also set aside as protected from new claims.
Most of the southern portion of the region - the most contentious area – falls under the RUWA classification. And even though it’s coloured a light shade of green on the government’s map, it allows for a greater industrial footprint than the lowest IMA zone.
This new plan, developed unilaterally by the government without input from the four Peel First Nations, is markedly different than the commission’s final recommended plan which protected 80% of the watershed.
Although that plan has the backing of the Na-cho Nyak Dun, Tr’ondek Hwech’in, Vuntut Gwitchin and Gwich’in Tribal Council, the government decided to ditch it and draw up its own.
The First Nations say that violates the Yukon’s modern day treaty, the Umbrella Final Agreement. The government, on the other hand, insists it has stayed within the letter of the law.
Environmental groups were quick to condemn the government’s new plan released Jan. 21. They called it an affront to democracy and an insult to all who participated in the seven-year, $1.6 million planning process.
They also warned companies to think twice about working in the Peel.
“Companies considering industrial exploration or development in the Peel region do so at their own risk,” said Karen Baltgaillis, executive director of the Yukon Conservation Society in a news release. “The tide of public opinion will be against anyone who tries to develop in the region.”
The Yukon NDP criticized the government for choosing the "path of confrontation and litigation." The uncertainty created will be bad for both the economy and the environment, they said.
Click here to see the full plan.
Click here to see the government land use map.
No comments:
Post a Comment